Anti-doping agency boss says............

Anti-doping agency boss says racing could learn

INTERNATIONAL racing authorities could learn lessons from the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) code, its president John Fahey told conference delegates on Wednesday.

Fahey, a former New South Wales premier who chaired the committee responsible for Sydney's successful Olympic Games bid, revealed that some racing authorities had wanted to be involved in WADA in 2003.

However, its ‘founding fathers' decided participation would be inappropriate because of the association with betting and the involvement of animals.

But he said he could see significant benefits for the sport if a similar code to WADA's was compiled.

"A uniform, harmonised approach for horses competing would raise public perception of the sport," he explained.

"I'm not suggesting that horseracing should sign up to WADA, but adopting its model would enhance the sport's reputation.

"It would certainly benefit racing officials if they were applying the same rules wherever racing was taking place."

Fahey added: "Racing should be pro-active in assessing a worldwide anti-doping regime. Why wait for a scandal to break out before you apply the rules?"

Europe's programme of harmonisation in medication policy andcontrol, through the nine-member European Horseracing Scientific Liaison Committee, was outlined by France-Galop vet Paul-Marie Gadot.

Greater sensitivity in the technology of testing had resulted in the EHSLC adopting limits for therapeutic drugs, while retaining zero tolerance on performance-enhancing drugs, he said.

"If we aren't exemplary," Gadot added, "public opinion will turn its face from our sport, so the EHSLC has taken on board these concerns, and is building a harmonised system to control medication and avoid the abuse of horses through drugs.

"It is a strong system, which must also be fair."